


It's The Way We Are Together

by thatwasahaiku



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 01:39:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7133324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwasahaiku/pseuds/thatwasahaiku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>my take on the flower shop & tattoo parlor AU. with a little bit of mystery thrown in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's The Way We Are Together

Lardo heard the voice before anything else. “No, no, no. No. Bro, I don’t think you understand. Carly Slay Jepsen is a gift that has long fucking gone unappreciated. She is a true good that-” 

She paused right outside the flower shop right as another voice floated out the front door that was propped open with a huge can filled with sunflowers. “Shitty, I feel like you of all people would be complaining about how warped it is that some straight white girl-”

“Yes, yes, yes. I should be upset that some straight white girl has captured the hearts of the LGBTQ community when there are countless members of the community that are equally and more talented than she is. And that is an excellent fucking point but I would then point out that she hasn’t captured their hearts because it seems like everyone wrote her off after Call Me Maybe!” 

“Which was a disaster, so it makes sense.” 

“How dare you speak that way about one of your countrymen! I am shocked and disgusted and-” 

“Call Me Maybe might have been overplayed to all hell, but that still doesn’t discount the fact that Carly has a masterful grasp of the pop formula and is clearly using it to her advantage.” 

Lardo had stepped into the doorway and was leaning against the frame, arms crossed. “To me, the beauty of pop music is in its inherent attempt to capture something so ephemeral. It’s all about grand gestures and dramatics when it’s all really just fleeting. It’s trying to make something temporary into something that’s permanent. Call Me Maybe, or hell, even I Really Like You seem to speak perfectly to that very phenomenon.” she trailed off at the end of her little rant. “I mean,” she shrugged, “that’s what I think.” 

The two men in the shop were both staring at her. One, behind the counter, was leaning on his forearms. He had his hair pulled back in what looked to be like a low bun, but Lardo couldn’t quite tell from her spot in the door. His eyes were wide and while normally she wasn’t a fan of just mustaches, Lardo had to admit to herself that this man’s smile was enhanced with the facial hair. 

The other was standing further back in the shop, pulling flowers from what looked like a display of tulips and roses. Unlike the man with the mustache with the crazed smile, this guy’s mouth was quirked in what could be a smile, but Lardo wasn’t sure. 

“Now see, Jack, that is exactly what I’ve been trying to get at. Finally, someone who understands!” The man behind the counter had begun moving his arms as he spoke, gesturing wildly. “And I’d bet that she would agree with me on how Car-”

“Nope. I’m gonna stop you right there, Shitty.” Jack shook his head, but from how his lips had turned up a slight bit more, Lardo figured that he wasn’t actually all that annoyed. “You are not going to bring in another customer to listen to one of your rants on gender and sexualitity. No matter whether or not they might agree with you.” He directed his attention at Lardo, who was grinning. These guys seemed fun, and it’d been ages since she’d been around new people that seemed to immediately feel right. 

“Hi. Welcome to Alicia’s. I’m Jack, that’s Shitty.” he pointed his head in the direction of the counter. 

“Yes, Shitty. Not my real name but the only name I’ll respond to.” Shitty had dropped his hands and had gone back to leaning against the counter. “And you are?” 

“Lardo. Not my real name either.” 

“So, what are you looking for, Lardo? A nice little bouquet for a partner? A handful of apology roses? Something to help your boss forget that time you accidentally got so high during your break that you mis-entered the information for all of the deliveries ready to go out?”

Lardo tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Can’t say I’ve ever done that, but I have gotten so wasted I let my best friend convince me to open up my own business. Nowhere near as fun.” She stepped up to the counter. “The more scandalous stories are saved for at least our fifth meeting I’m afraid. After I find out who this place is named after and why you call yourself Shitty.” She had no idea why she was rambling. Lardo didn’t ramble. Lardo prided herself on being the quiet, stoic one who would then come in and surprise you when you never saw it coming. But for some reason, she couldn’t shut up. 

“I don’t even know Shitty’s real name, and we were college roommates” Jack called from where he’d moved to what looked like a work table in the very back of the shop. Thankfully, the place wasn’t all that large so he was still well within earshot

“I would say that sounds like a challenge, but I like to respect a man’s right to privacy. Especially a man with such fine opinions on the Queen of my heart” she smiled at Shitty who then laughed, a sound that seemed to fill the entire shop. He reached behind his head and tugged his hair out of its bun, shaking it out for it to then fall neatly just above his shoulders. He took Lardo’s breath away, and for the briefest second it pissed her off. 

Lardo had long accepted her bisexuality, but it had been years since she’d found herself this attracted to a guy right from the start. Girls were easier, something she’d ranted about to Bitty too many times to count (usually when drunk or stoned). Girls had always felt safer in a way that she couldn’t quite explain. But Lardo couldn’t deny that something about this Shitty guy was different. She blamed the fact that she hadn’t been laid in a few months and pushed her attraction to the back of her mind. There were more important things to worry about, like the fact that Dex and Nursey were due to show up soon and if she wasn’t there they might burn her shop down. 

“So, anyway! Flowers. I actually work at this tattoo place right up the street and I just came by before opening up to grab something for the front desk. You know, a pop of color to help brighten the place up.” 

That’s when Jack took over, walking up from the back to help Lardo pick out an assortment of flowers. Shitty stayed behind the counter, but called out suggestions that Jack always seemed to agree with. Ten minutes later and she’d finally paid with a promise to Jack that she’d be back once the flowers in her arms began to wilt. As she was signing the receipt Shitty boasted that he knew she’d be back before that, seeing as like-minded people couldn’t help but stick together in these trying times. Lardo had just laughed at that before saying her goodbyes with a wave and walking out the door.

“Yo, Lardo! Wait!” Shitty called out behind her. Lardo back-tracked back into the store. 

“Yeah?” 

“You wanna get a drink later? Tonight, maybe? Don’t fight me on this, but the universe is telling me that we were meant to be bros.” 

Bros. Ladro wanted to laugh but she only let out a small chuckle. Realistically she knew she should say no, seeing as she’d only just met the guy. But there was that gut feeling she couldn’t ignore of peace and security and attraction and want and, “Sure. The shop closes around nine, I’ll be done cleaning up by 9:30. That too late?” 

Shitty grinned and Lardo hated that she felt her heart slip down into her stomach. Fuck, she just needed to get laid. “Nah, bro. That’s perfect. Meet me back here when you’re done?” 

Lardo nodded in response, then backed back out of the store again. This time no one called after her as she walked down the street, arm full of flowers she didn’t even know the names of. Maybe Chowder would look them all up while sitting at the front desk pretending to do something, when really just texting his girlfriend. Or maybe Lardo could just ask Shitty that night. 

***

“So what’s your story?” Shitty asked after drinking what looked like half his glass in one go. Lardo blinked, not knowing quite how to answer. Shitty used the back of his hand to wipe at his mustache, then burped. Lardo’s cackle surprised her, and from the gleam in Shitty’s eye, it had surprised him too. 

“But really,” he waved a hand. “What’s your story? How did you end up in Providence?” 

Lardo took a swig of her own beer. “Got my first tattoo at 16 and immediately became hooked. Went to college to study art, but spent most of my time either in the art studio or down at a local tattoo place. After a semester of pestering, they took me on as an apprentice. It took a while, but I built up my portfolio.” She smirked at Shitty who had already finished his beer and was subtly tracking the movements of the bartender, waiting to flag him down. 

“Then my best friend, Bitty, decided he wanted to go to pastry school but even though the boy has a divine talent for all things that are baked, he swore he needed ‘real life’ bakery experience. That led us into promising to stick together, then a lot of things falling perfectly into place for us both to end up here for the past few years. Here, let me,” she stood up from her seat and leaned over the bar. The bartender noticed her immediately and nodded, flashing a thumbs up as he finished up the drinks he was making. 

Shitty nodded in approval as she sat back down. “You don’t take any shit, do you?” 

Lardo was a bit taken aback, but smiled. “No, I don’t think I do. No one should if you ask me.” 

This seemed to be the right answer. “Okay, now. For the real questions that might make or break this entire thing right now. Lardo,” he paused. “What’s your first name? Your full name?” 

“Larissa Duan.” 

“Larissa ‘Lardo’ Duan, are you ready?” 

Lardo ignored the twist of her heart and chugged the rest of her beer. “Fuck yeah, hit me.” 

The night ended with the pair stumbling out of the bar, laughing at the realization that they had, separately, had complimentary or matching Halloween costumes for five years in a row. Shitty had deemed her worthy of being his bro (or at least, that’s what she thought had happened. Drunk Shitty rambled a lot and was even more overwhelming in all the ways that Lardo didn’t know was possible) and was determined to get her to come to a party the next night. 

“Listen. You’ll love Ransom and Holster. They’re our friends from college, they were on our hockey team. They’re also our part-time delivery guys when we’re in a pinch. Please, Lardo. I can just tell you’re going to be a pong champ. I need you.” With that, he swung an arm around Lardo’s shoulders and pulled her into his side. 

Lardo couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She hadn’t been this drunk since college. She realized, with another lurch in her stomach, that she couldn’t remember being this happy since college, either. 

“Besides, I need you to back me up on arguments about sexism and pop music.” 

“Only if I can bring Bitty, too. If he can get off work that is.” 

“Oh! Fuck yeah. Bring him. I wanna talk to him about Lemonade and womanism and maybe-” he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, causing Lardo to stumble a bit. 

“We need to call you a taxi. You’re too drunk to try and drive home.” he suddenly sounded completely sober. 

“I wasn’t going to drive home. I have a sleeping back in the shop, I was just gonna crash there.” 

That seemed to personally offend Shitty. “No, I can’t have that. What’re you gonna do, sleep on the floor?” 

“There’s a little couch in the front waiting area.” 

That seemed to be the wrong answer, as Shitty was adamantly shaking his head. “Look, feel free to say no. Maybe you should because you just met me and you don’t really know me,” 

“Sure.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“Were you going to let me crash on your couch? Because that’s what I said yes to.” 

Shitty threw a hand over his heart. “Please, you’re going to take the bed and that’s final. The couch is all mine.” 

Lardo rolled her eyes. “Really, I don’t need to take your bed. I’m fine with the couch, Shits.” 

“Nope. You’re not gonna win that argument. Now come on, the Haus is only a… egh, seven minute walk or so from here. Not far at all.” 

“Haus?” Lardo snorted. Shitty had resumed walking and Lardo picked up her pace to match his stride. 

“If we’re being technical, it’s more like the Haus part two, because the original Haus was condemned despite my best efforts.” Noticing Lardo’s eyebrow raised in question Shitty said, “The Haus was where our college hockey team lived. Think of it like, a frat house. Only without,” 

“Without the sexism and homophobia and-” 

“Exactly. All of the drinking though. Fuck, Lardo. I wish you could have been there for some of our epic kegsters. You would have fit right in.” He tilted his head to look down at her. “And I bet you’re wicked good at pong too. We could have crushed those lacrosse team fuckers. Fuck those guys.” 

Lardo laughed, not really knowing why. Everything about what had happened since she first heard Shitty’s voice float out from the flower shop seemed like it was a part of someone else’s life. She pinched her wrist, to see if she was actually awake. It had to have been months since she’d been this happy, since she’d genuinely laughed this much and really enjoyed herself. 

And it had been years (probably since meeting Bitty. but even then,) since she’d met someone who she got along with as quick as Shitty. Hell, Lardo had never met someone like Shitty. Someone as loud and opinionated and despite looking like a frat-boy stereotype even in his mid-twenties (somehow he pulled it off and Lardo couldn’t find it in herself to be annoyed), was the complete of what she expected. 

“Yeah, fuck those guys.” she echoed Shitty. 

Shitty grinned and Lardo felt her stomach flip. But that was probably just all the booze, nothing else. 

* * * 

After that, Shitty worked his way into her life. It started with Lardo getting texts at the end of her shifts, begging her to come back to the Haus. Most times she’d complain about laundry she had to do, or about the fact that she hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before because Shitty had decided it was the “perfect fucking night” for “stargazing and getting blazed” or because he’d declared it a disaster that Jack had never seen any of the Indiana Jones movies and Lardo “needed” to come over and watch them even though it was almost one in the morning (on a Tuesday). But most times she was already on her way over when she sent those responses. 

Lardo liked being Shitty’s bro. In college she’d spent most of her time with her art major friends, or with the gang at the tattoo shop. She’d always been down to party and have adventures; but Lardo didn’t find anyone in college that could keep up with her. Bitty came close, was one of the best friends Lardo could ever ask for. And yet. 

“You and Shitty seem to be getting quite close.” Bitty said while washing dishes. Lardo froze for a moment, but then quickly resumed putting their leftovers into tupperware containers. 

“He’s a cool dude.” She finally said, her body halfway into the fridge as she struggled to make room. Bitty hummed in response. Once the lasagna was all packed away, she stood up and closed the fridge door with her hip. “You’re still my number one, Bits. Don’t worry.” 

Bitty laughed. “That wasn’t what I was concerned about, but bless you. That’s kind of you to say.” And with that, Bitty changed the conversation by telling her about the latest drama with the boy that kept coming into his bakery. Lardo listened while tidying up the kitchen but mostly remained silent. 

Despite what Bitty said, Lardo knew her best friend. She had been spending a lot of time with Shitty which more often than not left Bitty to come back to an empty apartment. Bitty would never openly complain about Lardo having other friends. The fact that he mentioned it probably meant that it was starting to really bother him. Lardo didn’t like thinking about hurting Bitty so she interrupted his story about the poor boy who, that morning, had started talking in French for some reason when Bitty came up to his table to ask if he needed anything else. 

“When’s your next night off? It’s long past time that you met Shitty and all the rest of the guys. Shitty’s been trying to get you to come over to the Haus for weeks now.” 

Bitty didn’t seem to mind the interruption, and said with a smile, “Only if you ask what kind of pie they like. I’m sure you’ve talked me up to these new friends of yours, so I’m going to have to really woo them.” 

Lardo laughed. “I’ll ask, but whatever you make is magical and you know it.” She waggled a finger at him. “Don’t go fishing for compliments.” 

Shitty, as Lardo predicted, loved Bitty and immediately accepted him into the fold. Also as Lardo predicted, Bitty was horrified at the state of the Haus’ kitchen and spent the whole time lecturing the boys about keeping up a proper home. Shitty turned the lecture into a drinking game and by the time Bitty got to the section on oven care, Lardo was feeling amazing. 

* * * 

It was a Thursday when the girl came in. Chowder had entered the appointment in Lardo’s calendar as a consultation, so Lardo wasn’t expecting it to be anything major. The girl came in like a whirlwind with another girl hanging on her arm. Sorority girls. 

“So, I was like, thinking of something floral.” Jenny, the client, explained to Lardo. “Like, nothing too too big or anything.” 

Her friend, Mandy, jumped in, “And please, don’t make it anything like cliche or gross. Everyone is jumping on the flower tattoo train recently so like, make it original.” 

“Please.” Jenny added onto Mandy’s request. “Yeah, nothing like super cheesy. So no roses or like, anything like that.” 

Lardo, a bit taken aback, just nodded. “Nothing cliche, or gross. Got it.” Mandy pointed a look at the little notepad Lardo was writing on, so Lardo dutifully wrote, ‘nothing cliche’ at the very top. “Any idea what sort of style you want?” 

“Oh, I give you total artistic control over that.” Jenny giggled. “I mean, I stalked your instagram before choosing to come here, so I really like the way you do stuff. Your shading is incredible!” 

“And line work too!” Mandy added, surprising Lardo. 

“Well, cool. Um,” Lardo bit her lip. She didn’t have a lot of experience with flowers if she was being honest with herself. Sure, the occasional rose… there was a sunflower back when she was first learning. But they were definitely not a subject she knew a lot about. “Yeah. I’ll go ahead and draw up some sketches. Shouldn’t take too long. When were you hoping to get this done by?” 

“I’d like it before Spring C, right Mands?” 

Mandy nodded. “Definitely. Which is in like,” she paused to count on her fingers. “Six weeks. And you’re gonna want at least two weeks for it to heal up.” 

Lardo did the math. “Okay, well I should be able to send the sketches to you by the beginning of next week. We won’t schedule your actual appointment until we agree on a design, but there should be plenty of openings before you need it.” 

“Awesome. God, thank you so much.” Jenny jumped out of her chair and instead of taking Lardo’s outreached hand for a handshake, skipped around the desk to pull her into a hug. “You’re an absolute life-saver!” 

Lardo didn’t know how to respond to that. Thankfully, Mandy pulled Jenny away and dragged her out of the back office, a goodbye called out as they walked down the hall. Lardo sat down once she heard Chowder’s voice mix in with the girls’. 

It wasn’t until Sunday that Lardo finally had the time to sit down and try sketching out ideas. After what felt like hours of dead ends, Lardo realized she didn’t know anything about flower placement and google was terrible with helping to come up with something original. She groaned as she flopped back onto her bed, pushing her sketchbooks to the floor. 

From underneath her back, she felt her phone buzz. Then buzz twice more in rapid succession, which usually meant Shitty. She rolled over to reach for the phone. Sure enough, Shitty was asking (or rather, telling) Lardo to come down to help him close up shop before going bowling because apparently Ransom and Holster had challenged them and they had an honor to defend. He needed her. 

Lardo showed up to the shop about twenty minutes before it was time for close. She heard Shitty’s voice coming from the back and from what it sounded like, they had gotten short-changed on a recent delivery. Knowing he might be a while, Lardo wandered to the back and pulled herself up onto the worktable to wait.

Unfortunately, her twitter and instagram were both weirdly dead; sighing, she turned her attention to looking at the arrangements set up on little shelves on the wall in front of her. They were nice, simple. Absentmindedly, Lardo bit her lip as she tried to envision ways of turning them into “nothing like, super cheesy.” 

Shitty’s voice had gotten louder and taken on the tone he only used when on the phone with his family. Lardo sighed. It was going to be longer than she thought. 

She hopped off the table and started to walk around the shop. On her third loop, she saw it. A small bundle of what looked like wildflowers, hidden behind a larger display of multicolored daisies. There were various shades of purples, a few strands of Baby’s Breath, and these vines holding it all together. It was simple. But Lardo immediately saw it translated into her own art style and her heart began to race. Jenny was going to love it. 

* * * 

Jenny loved it. And, thankfully, so did Mandy. The pair’s enthusiasm was contagious and Lardo found herself not minding their ceaseless banter as much as she normally would. She was proud of herself. The tattoo turned out amazing; Lardo was even tempted to say that it was one of her best pieces. The rest of the team seemed to agree, and Nursey asked Jenny if he could take a picture for the shop’s instagram. 

“Oh my god, of course! As long as you tag me in it!” She laughed. “Here, Lardo. This is for you.” She handed Lardo a wad of cash. “Seriously, amazing work. I am so in love! I’ll tag you in the pics I take of it during Spring C.”

“Everyone is going to be so jealous, especially Dianne! God, I can’t wait!” Mandy wrapped an arm around Jenny, pulling her in for a side-hug. The girl left in a flurry and the shop felt uncomfortable quiet almost as soon as the door closed behind them. 

“Yo, Dex! Check this filter.” Nursey called Dex over to where he was posting the picture to the shop’s main instagram.

“Nah, I say no filter. Show the colors in their true light.”

“Lardo, you have a preference?” Nursey asked. 

“Do what you want. I trust your eye.” Lardo called over her shoulder. She was already on her phone, texting Shitty that she was done for the day. 

If she had known that the instagram post was going to “blow up, man. Like, it’s so ‘swawsome!” (Chowder screamed as he pulled her into a tight hug), she might have been a bit more involved with the process. But as it turned out, it didn’t matter. Because the post somehow gained traction which led to a massive increase in business over the next few weeks. Not everyone came in looking for a floral tattoo like the one from the picture, but a decent amount did. 

Whenever a client wanted something with flowers, Lardo would tell them she needed a few days to work up the sketch, then head over to wander around the flower shop while Shitty was working. She didn’t know how she never noticed before, but there were always small arrangements like the first one hiding around the shop. They were never displayed in the open, rather had seemed to be shoved behind things as if the maker didn’t think they were actually that good. Most had flowers that Lardo couldn’t even begin to identify, but were breathtaking. They were almost always simple, something that Lardo appreciated. And they were crafted with such care that Lardo, despite her facade of being above most emotions, felt something stir inside her each time she found a new one. 

So business picked up. Lardo got better at tattooing flowers, thanks to the inspiration from the mysterious flower arrangements. She never brought it up to Shitty or Jack, and she didn’t know why. Maybe because she didn’t think it was that serious. Probably because they made her feel something too deep and she didn’t want to really want to talk about that. Besides, Lardo was too busy growing close to Shitty (and to the rest of the boys in the Haus) by means of adventures she thought weren’t possible post graduation to stop and think about those sort of emotions. 

She was too busy learning that being in her mid twenties didn’t mean she had to lose herself and her spirit. And too busy trying to ignore other feelings that kept creeping up when Shitty would pass her the bong and lean over to point out the big dipper that they could see perfectly from their spot on the roof of the Haus; or when Shitty would let her cut his flow, sitting perfectly still on the floor in between her legs. Moments that felt far too intimate and real and important for Lardo to acknowledge. 

* * * 

Not surprisingly, it was an offhanded comment from Nursey that disrupted Lardo’s sense of peace. She’d just finished up a small piece on a client’s ankle, a bunch of wildflowers wrapped in the vines from that very first bouquet that Lardo had seen in Shitty’s shop. Nursey wandered over. He peered at the flowers and smirked. Lardo took note of his reaction, but brushed it off. 

After wrapping it up and instructing the girl on proper after-care, Lardo focused her attention on cleaning her station. Her next client wasn’t due for another hour, but she’d rather get everything prepared now. 

“You ought to be giving that guy some royalties or something.” Nursey’s voice was laced with something smug. 

Lardo wasn’t in the mood for Nursey’s attitude (especially after knowing it probably came from losing an argument that morning to Dex in front of the girl Nursey had been flirting with), but she decided to indulge him nonetheless. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Flower shop guy. Whoever actually puts together the things you draw up. I pay attention, Lardo. You didn’t start doing all of these flowers until you met those guys. They’re the reason we’re doing so well right now.”

“Damn, and to think I was actually going to compliment you on the progress you’ve been making. What a shame.” Lardo snapped back. 

Nursey held up his hands in defeat. “Look, I’m just saying.” There was a crash from Dex’s station in the back and Nursey rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Guess I’ll go see what he broke now.” 

“Play nice” Lardo chided. She turned her attention back to organizing her own station, trying not to let what Nursey said get under her skin. She knew he wasn’t trying to be mean, wasn’t trying to imply that she was only good at recreating someone else’s work. 

But that didn’t mean Lardo could always be objective and understanding. A sense of guilt started to build until finally, a week later, Lardo managed to try and talk to Shitty about it all. 

“You know, I’ve always wondered,” Lardo finished her bite of apple before continuing, “who’s responsible for all of the arrangements?” She nodded to a wilting mix of daisies on Shitty’s windowsill. 

Shitty shrugged. His focus stayed on packing a new bowl. They were sitting on Shitty’s bed, having snuck back to his place for a quick high during their lunch breaks. 

“Jack. He got real into flower meanings when he was dealing with some tough shit, which then led to figuring out how they could go together. He pulled me into it later, when he thought about starting the place. I saw how much it meant to him and just decided to drop out right there to make his dream happen.” He passed the bowl to Lardo, who took a hit. 

“You mean,” she coughed. “you dropped out of college to start a flower shop?” She took another hit before passing back. 

Shitty fiddled with the lighter, “Oh, don’t you know? I was in Law School.” 

“No shit.”

“Damn straight. Harvard Law.”

“No fucking way.” Try as she might, Lardo just couldn’t picture it.

“Oh, trust me Lardo. I chopped off the flow and everything. It was a dark time, having to walk the walk and talk the talk with all of those mindless drones.” Shitty shuddered. Lardo motioned for him to take a hit, which he did. “You’re lucky you met me when you did, Lards. It was driving me crazy, trying to fit in with all of that. Sure,” he gestured widely with his arms, “would it have been nice to have been able to get to work for the people who actually need it? Of course. Should I have stayed and worked through the system in order to then come back and use it to dismantle it from within? Probably. Do I regret leaving so I could help my best friend? Fuck no.” 

He took another hit, and said after a cough, “One day I’ll go back. Maybe then my dad and all of his family would actually talk to me again. Nah, wait… I don’t want that. They’re all fucking crazy.” 

Lardo laughed and grabbed the bowl from Shitty’s hands before he dropped it as he swung his arms around impersonating various heinous family members. 

It wasn’t until she was cleaning up her station after her last client of the day that she really thought about what Shitty had said. Jack was responsible for the flowers, Shitty was more of the brains behind the whole operation. That meant that it was Jack’s art that she had this weird, intense connection with. His creations that were responsible for business picking up and her name gaining traction. Her stomach twisted in a way that she normally associated with a bad trip or that one time she accidentally ate some of the sushi from the murder stop ‘n shop that Chowder had left in the fridge. But she wasn’t going to think about that right now. 

In typical Lardo fashion, she repressed thinking about it all for as long as she could, but she didn’t last as long as she normally did. It was only three nights later that Bitty came home from his shift to find Lardo bundled up on their couch. She was drunk and moping and her sketchbook was lying facedown near the T.V. where she’d thrown it after realizing she was drawing Shitty next to a bunch of daisies. Again. 

Like the best friend he was, Bitty immediately changed, grabbed a tub of ice cream, then wiggled his way onto the couch. 

“Okay, just go over it again. From the top.” Bitty pulled Lardo into his side, his fingers carding through her hair. He knew most of the story, but he also knew it helped Lardo to try and process things out loud. Normally he would suggest she draw until she worked through the issue, but he didn’t think it wise to bring up her discarded sketchbook at a time like this. 

“Okay. From the top.” Lardo took a deep breath. She wasn’t one to really talk about her problems, but she’d been running through everything in her head on a constant loop for the past few days that, for once, she needed to get it all out. “Everything started with this client came in and she wanted a floral piece on her thigh. But she was dead set on it not being anything cliche.”

“Which led you to go to the flower shop.” Bitty handed her a spoon, but she didn’t reach for the ice cream to go with it. Honestly, she didn’t think she would be able to stomach anything right now. 

“Exactly. I just went in to get some inspiration, and-” 

“And to talk to Shitty.”

Lardo could practically hear the smile on Bitty’s face, so she ignored him and continued, staring at the spoon in her hand. “So I went in and there was this small little piece in the back with real faded colors and the barest hint of baby’s breath and had these vines and I just-”

“You were inspired.” Bitty sighed, like the romantic he was. Lardo rolled her eyes. 

“I was inspired and so I sketched out the piece and Jenny absolutely loved it. It turned out so sick, too. Then Nursey took a pic for the shop’s instagram which somehow got huge and brought us a lot of business. Including a lot of people asking for more floral pieces like hers.” 

“Of course this meant you had to go back and back and back and-” Bitty was chuckling now. 

“Yes, shut up! I mean,” she pulled her head out of where she’d burrowed it into Bitty’s side. “I was going there both for inspiration but also to hang out with Shitty and Jack. I like them; they’re cool guys. You know that, you’ve met them. And Rans and Holster, their delivery guys, are fun too. It’s just… a nice environment that always helped clear my head.”

“I’d imagine you would need that working with Dex and Nursey constantly fighting. Sure, Chowder is there too, but that poor boy really needs to get better at keeping the peace.” Bitty sighed. “I’m really sorry that I can’t be there more often. But! that’s not what we’re talking about.” he resumed petting Lardo’s hair. “So you and Shitty were getting closer,” he prompted. 

“We were getting closer and I know this sounds all kinds of cheesy, but it felt too good to be true. Shitty is too good to be true. I mean,” she sat up, pushing free of Bitty, and grabbed her beer from the coffee table, trading it with the spoon. “It’s like…” she was quiet until after a few long swigs. “He isn’t perfect. He’s loud, and I swear he belongs in some sort of nudist colony…” 

“But there’s something there.” 

“But there’s something there, exactly! Which doesn’t make sense because, well, we shouldn’t work.” 

“Lardo, if you went through life only doing what you should do, you wouldn’t be here right now. Look at me,” Bitty reached for her chin and moved her head so she was look at him. “I think you’re sabotaging yourself. You’re not letting yourself-” 

“But it’s Jack that does the flowers!” Lardo cut Bitty off with a yell. He blinked, his mouth still open. 

“What?” 

“The whole thing is that I kept going in and I kept seeing these weird arrangements and mix of things that shouldn’t work but they did! And they spoke to me and that’s what I was using for inspiration for all of these new tattoos. I didn’t really think anything of it, but then the other day Nursey made some comment about how I must have some serious connection with whoever put these things together and that I owed them something.” She fell back onto the couch, exhausted. 

Bitty blinked, mouth slightly ajar. A moment later he asked, “And it’s Jack?” 

Lardo couldn’t help but notice the blush on the tops of Bitty’s cheeks. That was something to return to, but for now she groaned and said, “Yeah. I asked Shitty about it and he said he dropped out of law school to help Jack with his dream of opening up a flower shop. So it’s Jack that I have this weird and awesome artistic connection with, not Shitty.” 

“Who you like.” 

“Who I like. Shit. Fuck. I like Shitty. There, are you happy? I like Shitty. I like a boy and it’s gross and I can’t believe it.” Lardo leaned forward to set down her beer and picked the spoon back up. Bitty passed her the ice cream and she dug in. With her mouth full, she said, “I know he’s a ‘bro,’ but he is honestly the best guy I have ever met and I can’t get rid of this gut feeling that he is someone who is meant to be in my life.” 

“Oh, honey.” Bitty cooed. He resumed petting her hair. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked after a few minutes of peaceful silence. 

Lardo shook her head, spoonful of half-melted ice cream shoved in her mouth. “No,” she said once she’d swallowed. “There’s nothing you can do. I just have to get over the fact that as perfect as Shitty seems, he just isn’t the other half to my artistic mind. It’s not the end of the world.” She knew that Bitty wouldn’t push her, but if the frown on his face was anything to go by, he wasn’t too pleased with how she was processing everything. 

Bitty was silent for a bit while Lardo finished what was left of the mint chocolate chip ice cream. She tossed the empty tub on the coffee table, sat up, then went to pick up her sketchbook. Lardo fell back onto the couch, this time giving Bitty a bit more room to breathe (he’d pulled out his phone and was probably tweeting). She thumbed through her sketches absentmindedly. 

Realistically, Lardo understood that she was being dramatic. Like she said, it wasn’t the end of the world that Jack was the one who made the things that inspired her to produce some of her best work. If anything, it was an opportunity for her to get closer to him. Now that she’d accepted and admitted (not to him, but Bitty and herself was a start) her crush and attraction to Shitty, she figured she should go ahead and solidify a good friendship with his best friend. 

“It would have been cool.” She sighed as she closed the sketchbook. 

“What would have been cool, hon’?” Bitty asked, looking up from his phone. 

“If it’d been Shitty. I’ve never met anyone that was at my level for basically everything. Well, at my level but at the same time challenging. He pushes me to do better because he knows I can be better.” 

“Are you talking about that time when you two beat everyone in that beer pong tournament?” 

“Yes. God, you should have been there to see their faces, it was ‘swawsome! But also, life.” 

“I think this is where Shitty would argue that beer pong is life, but I’m not Shitty so….” Bitty trailed off. “You want some pie?” 

“Please.” Lardo’s voice was small. She’d curled up in the corner of the couch, had pulled in on herself. Bitty smiled softly and threw a blanket over Lardo before retreating into the kitchen. Lardo fell asleep to the sounds of Bitty baking and singing quietly to himself. She dreamed of flowers and Shitty’s laugh filling the air. 

(But she’d never admit to that)

* * * 

It was Nursey that came and grabbed her from where she was going over paperwork in the back office. He rapped his knuckles on the door and waited for her to look up to say, “Shitty’s up front.” 

“Shitty?” 

“Yeah, Shitty. Tall? Really built? Amazing mustache and man-bun?” 

“You know you can just call it a bun, right? It doesn’t need the word ‘man’ in front of it, hair doesn’t need to be gendered like that.” 

“Sure. Whatever. He’s up front.” Nursey paused, and before he could say anything else Dex came up right behind him. 

“Hey, Lardo. Shitty is here. And he looks a little freaked out?” 

Lardo bit her lip. There wasn’t any reason she could think of for Shitty to be here. Sure, he’d come by a few times. Definitely not as often as she went over to his shop, but enough that the whole crew knew him and that he should feel comfortable just walking back to find her. 

“Would you mind sending him back? If I stray too far from all this, it’ll take me another week before it’s done.” 

Dex replied, “Sure thing.” and headed off without another word. Nursey, however, lingered in the doorway. 

“What?” Lardo asked. 

“You want me to stay around? It’s just, he does look a little freaked out.” 

“It’ll be fine, Nursey. Hey,” she reached down into the desk and pulled out her wallet that she tended to stash there during her shifts. She pulled out a twenty and passed it Nursey. “Can you just go run and grab us some drinks? Nothing too serious, just like a six-pack or something.” 

Just then, Shitty walked in the door. “Hey, man.” he said to Nursey, who patted Shitty on the back in response. He looked at Lardo, “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

“Thanks, Nursey. You can go ahead and shut the door.” She tilted her head in the direction of the door with her head and then at the chair in front of her desk. Shitty did just that, then sat down. 

She took in Shitty’s appearance. He didn’t look as bad as the boys had made out, but there was definitely something wrong. “‘Sup?” 

“I… I, ugh.” Shitty seemed to be looking everywhere but at her. He was playing with his mustache absentmindedly, staring at the small window behind her head. Lardo didn’t say anything, waiting for him to gather his thoughts. 

“So this girl came into the shop today. And you know, it’s getting warmer so people are starting to wear shorts again and dresses and all that shit.” Lardo nodded, but stayed silent. Shitty coughed. He’d stopped fiddling with his mustache and was now messing with the hem of his own jean shorts. Lardo was pretty sure that was the pair she’d helped him make from some of his old jeans. 

“So there was this girl and I went up and did my whole thing, as you know. I’m an excellent businessman.” 

“Oh, the best.” Lardo smiled. She had no idea where this was going but her heart was pounding. 

Shitty smiled, but it wasn’t a full smile. It was a smile that Lardo had never seen before. It looked like he was nervous. She hadn’t known that Shitty could ever get nervous; he was the most laidback person she’d ever met. 

“I’m talking to her, and I happen to look down and… and she had this tattoo on her thigh.” Lardo didn’t know why but she felt her heart lurch. Shitty was speaking faster now. “It was this bunch of flowers and it just looked so damned familiar that I, and I shit you not, I bent down to get a better look. After asking permission of course, and this girl, Jenny. Her name was Jenny. And she was so sweet and explained all about how she’d come to you for a floral tattoo but was terrified that you’d come up with something cliche and how she just couldn’t handle the backlash if she’d gotten something cliche. Something about her best friend Mandy hating all things cliche. But the thing is… like….. you tattooed my flowers?” 

Fuck. Lardo’s ability to breathe had suddenly disappeared. 

“Shitty, I know I never told you. Fuck, I’m sorry.” Lardo was scrambling. This was probably the fastest she’d spoken around Shitty. “I just went to see you on my break and yeah, maybe see if I could use anything as inspiration. And you were in the back so I wandered around and I saw that tiny little thing just sitting there and it just, I just, I mean....” Shitty was staring at her like he’d done that very first time she’d interrupted his rant on Carly Rae Jepsen. He was looking at her like he couldn’t really believe she was real. 

“I made that.”

That stopped Lardo in her tracks. “What?” 

Shitty cleared his throat. He resumed playing with his mustache. “I know I told you that Jack does all the flowers. And he does. But I do a few, every now and then. After Jack has left. They’re usually just small things so he doesn’t notice what’s missing. Sometimes I just… wanna make something, ya know?” He was blushing now. Lardo could feel her own face heating up. 

“So it was you. You made all of the things I ended up tattooing.” 

Shitty’s eyes widened. “There’s more?” 

Lardo’s face went even more red. “You know, Nursey said that I should give you some sort of royalties for stealing your work. How have you not known that all I’ve been doing recently are floral pieces? Well, not just florals. But more so than usual.” 

“I guess we’ve just never really talked about that.”

“How is it that we have analyzed the intricacies of queerness in spaces dominated by hegemonic masculinity and yet…” Lardo trailed off, not knowing quite what to say. 

The pair were silent for a few minutes, both taking in their separate revelations. 

Lardo tapped her fingers on the desk while she thought. If anything, she rationalized, here was the sign that she should just tell Shitty she liked him. She knew she should. And yet there was that nagging doubt that Shitty didn’t see her like that. After all, she was a bro just like everyone else. Lardo had almost reached a decision on what to do when Shitty spoke. 

“Did you know that when you first walked into the store I thought to myself, ‘Well here is a girl that I could see myself succumbing to the patriarchal tradition of marriage with’?” 

Lardo felt her mouth drop. And Shitty continued, “I mean, here this spitfire girl shows up and she’s smart and gorgeous and I immediately did my best to not objectify you. But the way you smiled when you leaned across the counter, I just…” Shitty looked her in the eyes and smiled. Lardo, somehow, felt it to all the way down to her toes like the cliche bastard she was. “I was a fucking gonner.”

“Day one?” She’d managed to find her voice. 

“Day fucking one.” He nodded solemnly. 

Adrenaline coursing through her, Lardo stood up to walk around the front of the desk. She leaned against it right in front of Shitty. She’d fit herself in between his spread legs, with space still distancing their bodies. Despite the adrenaline, she was relaxed. Lardo’s heart was racing, but in a way that she realized meant she was never going to forget this moment. 

“Did you know that from day fucking one I thought it was unfair that you were real? Unfair that you existed and that I couldn’t have you? And I’ve had to go this whole time with this crush th-”  
She was cut off by Shitty surging up from his feet. He cradled a hand around the back of her head and pulled her close. “I’m asking because I have to ask and-” 

“Fuck yes.” Lardo would have been embarrassed at how she practically moaned her consent, but the emotion was trumped by Shitty pressing into her. The mustache tickled, but not in a way that made Lardo want to stop kissing. If anything, she found herself liking the way his mouth felt against her own. She pulled back slightly to catch her breath, only to have it taken away when Shitty put his arms around her thighs to lift her up onto the desk. 

“This okay?” he was cradling her head with both hands. Her own were around his waist as he seemed to tower over her. She wanted to slip her hands under his shirt, wanted to see what they felt like pressed against his skin. She wanted to see if it would bruise, if she could leave a mark that’d haunt him for days. 

“If it’s ever a no, I’ll let you know. Trust me.” 

“I do.” And then he brought their mouths back together, Lardo’s mouth falling open to deepen the kiss. 

That’s how Nursey found them, disheveled and not at all embarrassed, when he opened the door with the drinks Lardo had asked him to get. 

“Oh. Shit. Um, sorry. Good luck kissing. Good job.” Nursey stuttered before quickly setting the drinks down and slamming the door shut behind them. 

Shitty and Lardo heard him yell, “They’re finally making out. Dex, time to pay up! Someone text Bitty!” and they both started laughing. Shitty’s hand went around her waist and Lardo leaned into his chest. His other hand went to her hair and she couldn’t help but groan. 

“Since day one? Really?” 

She felt him chuckle. “What can I say, I’m a patient person.” 

Lardo pulled away from him and his hands fell to his side. His eyes were bright, his lips red and mustache a bit tousled. She couldn’t wait to see how his hair would look after sex, or how he’d look if she pulled on it. But, she pushed that thought aside and said, “Worth the wait?” 

Shitty reached forward and cradled her chin. Chills ran down Lardo’s entire body. Fuck, she could probably jump him right here and now if it weren’t the middle of the day. He thumbed at her lip. Lardo’s breath caught in the back of her throat. 

“I’d have waited as long as you needed.”

**Author's Note:**

> so it's my personal head canon that Shitty would love Carly Rae Jepsen, and you can't take that away from me. Also ! i may do another fic in this AU about Bitty and the boy that comes to his bakery (surprise surprise, it's jack).


End file.
